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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27354430">Sunkissed</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/everwitch/pseuds/everwitch'>everwitch</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>In Every Universe [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Red White &amp; Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>A Kiss, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Summer Camp, Alternate Universe - Teenagers, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Falling In Love, Flirting, Fluff, It's more of a theoretical discussion, M/M, Mentions Of Infidelity, Miscommunication, Misunderstandings, Pining, Plans for future kisses, Summer night romance, but no actual cheating</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 02:15:15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,580</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27354430</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/everwitch/pseuds/everwitch</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been a long summer of being completely ignored by one Henry Fox, the blue-eyed boy who's been deliberately avoiding Alex ever since the first day of camp. When Alex finally confronts Henry, the last thing he expects is to find that Henry isn't nearly as stoic and unfeeling as he's always seemed. As the two form an unexpected connection, it remains to be seen if this sudden spark between them will last beyond the summer sun. After all, they've spent no more than a few hours together. It's not like they'll still be on each other's mind, after they've gone back home. Right?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alex Claremont-Diaz/Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>In Every Universe [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2071992</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>162</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Sunkissed</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Alex, wait. Please."</p><p>Against his better judgement, Alex paused.</p><p>No, actually, scratch that. Alex Claremont-Diaz didn't <em> have </em> much of a judgement. At last not when it came to one stoic, cold, eternally frowning Henry Fox, the peculiar boy who'd been carefully avoiding Alex at all times ever since their first day of summer camp. Maybe, if Alex's temper hadn't flared at the very sight of Henry after two long months of being deliberately ignored, he would've had the sense not to follow him down to the empty beach, tonight, and demand a reason for why, exactly, Henry was so clearly revolted by the idea of being so much as casually acquainted with Alex.</p><p>It certainly hadn't helped that Alex had been forced to watch as Henry easily made friends with both June and Nora. Consequently, Alex had to endure their more and more frequent mentions of Henry. "He's not that bad, you know," June had told him firmly on more than one occasion. "Maybe just give him a chance," Nora had agreed cheerfully, almost as though Alex hadn't tried at all, as if <em> he </em> was somehow the problem, here, when Henry was the one who refused to grant Alex as little as a moment of his time, or a single word in response even when faced with a direct fucking question.</p><p>It was almost as if Henry Fox had turned ignoring someone into an art form, and had for some reason decided that Alex deserved to be his sole victim.</p><p>Except, Henry had actually just spoken to Alex, hadn't he? He'd said Alex's name, even. What the actual <em> fuck. </em></p><p>Alex turned around.</p><p>Henry was watching him wearily. He actually looked sort of exhausted, Alex realised belatedly. A minute earlier, Alex had been a little too busy giving a heated speech about every despicable thing Henry had put him through that summer to quite notice the fact that Henry's eyes had been sort of red and puffy before Alex had even opened his mouth. He'd registered the way Henry had flinched when Alex had told him to just go fuck himself (not his finest moment nor his most inspired insult, but Alex was basically running on pure bitterness, here) but other than that, Alex hadn't actually registered very much about Henry's appearance.</p><p>Now, though, Alex allowed himself a moment to simply look.</p><p>Henry was wearing those grey shorts Alex remembered seeing him in the first time Henry went kayaking with June and Nora, as well as a pair of pink flip-flops and a blue, short-sleeved shirt. The shirt brought out the blue in Henry's eyes in a way that wasn't unattractive, precisely. Alex let his eyes meet Henry's directly, acknowledging once again the redness in the corner of them. Clearly, Henry had been crying. Was that why he'd come down to the beach so late at night, all alone? Was he sad to be going home after having such a good summer? Alex desperately wished he could relate.</p><p>"I know I owe you an apology," Henry said quietly, startling Alex out of his thoughts. "I'd be grateful if you would hear me out, but I'll honestly understand if you won't."</p><p>It was a strange thing, Alex thought, to hear so many words come out of Henry's mouth at once. Although, technically, he <em> had </em> heard Henry's voice before. It was just a little different, now that Henry was actually saying something to him.</p><p>"I'd take an explanation over an apology," Alex admitted slowly. "I just… I don't get it, Henry. What the fuck did I ever do to you, to make you hate me so much?"</p><p>"I'm so sorry to have made you think that." Henry looked away for a moment, his eyes gazing out over the lake. "It wasn't my intention, exactly. I knew it bothered you, to some extent, but I wasn't… I didn't realise just how obvious it's been, for you, that I've been trying to keep a certain distance."</p><p>"You literally haven't spoken a single syllable to me all summer," Alex snapped – surprisingly, that made Henry flinch again. "You really thought I wouldn't notice <em> that?" </em></p><p>Henry grimaced.</p><p>"I guess I kind of just panicked, a little bit."</p><p>"Why, though?" Alex questioned heatedly. "Why me? And why ignore me all this time, only to suddenly decide that I'm worthy of your attention on our very last night?”</p><p>"You've always had my attention, Alex. Always." For some reason, Henry paused to take a deep breath. "I'm just gonna come right out and say it. Okay?"</p><p>Alex crossed his arms angrily.</p><p>"By all means. Enlighten me."</p><p>Henry took another steadying breath before he spoke again.</p><p>"You are, by far, the most beautiful person I've ever seen. And I'm so helplessly attracted to you, it's not even funny."</p><p>Alex let his arms fall to his side. He was gaping in what was probably a rather undignified manner.</p><p>"No. You're joking. This is all a joke."</p><p>It had to be, didn't it? And a cruel one, at that. Why would Henry claim to like Alex in <em> that </em> way, when he so obviously couldn't even stand the sight of Alex?</p><p>"I kind of wish it was." Surprisingly, Henry's cheeks had turned sort of pink. It was actually somewhat… Endearing. Huh. "I'm not ashamed of it in any way. It's just been extremely inconvenient."</p><p>"Inconvenient, how?" Alex wondered.</p><p>He was having a hard time meeting Henry's eyes, now, mostly because he was suddenly noticing all these things about Henry's face that he'd never paid much attention to, before. Like how prominent Henry's cheekbones were, or how soft Henry's lips looked when he smiled. Alex let his eyes linger at Henry's mouth for a moment, almost experimentally. What might it be like to kiss Henry? Would Alex enjoy it? Was there any good reason to <em> not </em> kiss him, considering what Henry had just confessed?</p><p>"When I came here this summer, I had a boyfriend back home," Henry said.</p><p>Alex opened his mouth only to close it again, his mind already spinning rapidly with a myriad of new thoughts and realisations. But amidst all of his emotional turmoil, there was at least one thing that finally made sense.</p><p>"And suddenly, there I was," he said slowly.</p><p>The smile Henry offered him was frighteningly genuine.</p><p>"And there you were," he agreed. "And I just… I panicked. I thought, he's too beautiful. If I'm not careful, I'm going to do something I will definitely regret."</p><p>"You wouldn't," Alex surprised himself by saying. "You honestly don't… Seem the type. To cheat on someone, I mean."</p><p>Judging by Henry's startled expression, he was perhaps even more surprised.</p><p>"Depends on where you draw the line for cheating," he said delicately. "And I just… I decided to be very, very careful, just for my own sanity. I wanted to be able to go back home and tell my boyfriend, there was someone really handsome at camp, but nothing happened between us. Nothing. I didn't even flirt, not once – how could I, when we weren't even friends? When we never even spoke? I needed my enormous crush on you reduced to the equivalent of admiring a model on the cover of a magazine."</p><p>"Oh." Alex pondered that for a moment. "That's… Pretty extreme. You could've, you know. Talked to me. At least once in a while."</p><p>"Without flirting," Henry said. It sounded as though he believed he'd just made a convincing argument. "Like that would've been at all possible."</p><p>Alex frowned.</p><p>"You're talking to me <em> now, </em> aren't you?"</p><p>"Yeah, well." Henry looked down at his hands for a moment. "I was kind of dumped, about two hours ago. So."</p><p>"What?" Alex exclaimed. Suddenly, he wanted to laugh. "Oh my God. How is this your actual life?"</p><p>"Good question," Henry said quietly. "I really thought, after we'd made it through these two months apart… But apparently, I was so wrong. He said he didn't even miss me. That everything was <em> easier, </em> when I wasn't there."</p><p>Henry actually looked downright crestfallen. And just like that, laugh was the very last thing Alex wanted to do.</p><p>"Hey," he said. Impulsively, he took a step closer to Henry. "I know I don't really know you at all, but it sounds like you've been investing a lot more into that relationship than your boyfriend ever did. I'm sorry you had to go through something like that."</p><p>"Look, Alex, you don't need to…" Henry sighed. "You, of all people, don't owe me anything. It's the last night of camp. Go have fun with your friends."</p><p>Alex considered that for a moment. Henry was probably right. Getting back to the campfire, and June and Nora, was exactly what Alex should want to be doing right then.</p><p>"Maybe I could help you get back at that ex of yours, instead," he suggested cheekily. "I'd be more than down to produce convincing photographic evidence that you're totally over him, already."</p><p>Henry stared at him for a moment.</p><p>"I have it on good authority that you're straight," he said bluntly. "Completely straight, in fact. And you've clearly got no reason to do me any special favors."</p><p>Right. June and Nora. It was funny, how something that was an objective truth one late night conversation a few months ago could seem rather debatable, in hindsight.</p><p>"Well," Alex said eloquently.</p><p>Henry raised both eyebrows in disbelief. </p><p>"How is <em> this </em> my life," he muttered. "Seriously? You're… Really?"</p><p>"I mean, I think so." Alex shrugged. Suddenly, he felt nervous. "Obviously, I've never… Y'know. With a guy. So it's a little difficult to be completely certain."</p><p>Henry watched him for another moment. His expression was almost impossible to read.</p><p>Slowly, Alex took another step closer.</p><p>Immediately, Henry backed away.</p><p>"Alex, I'm… I literally just got out of a year-long relationship. I'm not in a great place, right now."</p><p>"Right," Alex said, mentally kicking himself. "Fuck, I'm sorry. Just because I'm in the mood to experiment and you're actually pretty much exactly my type, I think – or maybe my <em> only </em> type when it comes to guys, fuck if I know – and I know for a fact that you're really into me, too, it doesn't mean that you owe me anything, here. I'll just... Leave you alone. I hope you get over him, soon."</p><p>Henry cursed under his breath.</p><p>"Do you mean that?" Something about the look in Henry's eyes had changed while Alex rambled. Something significant.  "Are you sure?"</p><p>"About which part?" Alex wondered. Suddenly, his mouth felt completely dry. "You just told me yourself that you're attracted to me, and as for the rest of it, yeah, I'd be more than happy to-"</p><p>Suddenly, abruptly, Henry stepped forward. Alex barely had time to react before he found himself pulled into a kiss. And <em> oh, </em> what a kiss. Alex let his eyes flutter close, let himself melt into the feeling of Henry's mouth on his. There'd been a fireworks show, earlier that night, but that was <em> nothing </em> compared to the explosion of exhilarated euphoria that was happening inside of Alex right now. When Henry pulled back, as suddenly as he'd surged forward, Alex's heart was beating madly in his chest.</p><p>"That's all you get," Henry murmured with a soft brush of lips against Alex's cheek, before he slowly backed away. "Anything more and you'll ruin me."</p><p>"Well," Alex said shakily. "We can't have that, can we?"</p><p>He lowered his gaze to the ground for a moment. It had been a long time since he felt so dizzy just from just a kiss.</p><p>"So, uh. Definitely not straight. Thanks for humouring me."</p><p>"Oh, you're more than welcome," Henry said dryly. Alex could hear the smile in his voice. "I'm honestly sorry we haven't been doing that all summer."</p><p>"You had a boyfriend."</p><p>"Who could've had the good sense to dump me in June, rather than now, since he's apparently been bored with me for ages." Alex looked up again to find Henry studying him with a sort of wistful expression. At least for the moment, Henry seemed to have pushed away any emotion related to his still recent heartbreak. "That would've been a very different summer, don't you think?"</p><p>For a second, Alex let himself imagine it. Stolen kisses in secluded corners. Walks along the beach. Henry spread out in Alex's top bunk, his sunkissed skin under the tips of Alex's fingers.</p><p>"Yeah," Alex managed unsteadily. "Maybe."</p><p>"I doubt we'll see each other, again," Henry said quietly. "I mean, we live in different countries. You're from Texas, right?"</p><p>"Yeah. And you live in London." Alex considered that for a moment. Their chances of running into one another without an intentional plan were clearly terrible. "Maybe you should still give me your number? Just in case."</p><p>"Just in case, huh?" Henry smiled again. "Fine. Why not?"</p><p>Alex dug his phone out of his pocket, and Henry dutifully tapped in his digits.</p><p>"Should I anticipate many transatlantic booty calls?" Henry asked lightly as he handed the phone back.</p><p>"Only every second Friday, or so," Alex returned, quick as ever. "I'll send you a schedule."</p><p>That actually made Henry throw his head back and laugh. </p><p>"Alright," he said, his tone surprisingly coy. "I'll look forward to it."</p><p>The next morning, when Alex made his way through the crowd of goodbyeing campers to shake Henry's hand with a meaningful wink, June and Nora looked like they were both on the brink of some sort of collective meltdown.</p><p>About an hour later, on the bus, Alex sent his first text. It was short, and to the point.</p><p>
  <em> this Friday too soon? </em>
</p><p>
  <em> this is Alex, by the way. </em>
</p><p>The reply dinged less than a minute later.</p><p>
  <em> you could be anyone. maybe you should send me a selfie, as proof. </em>
</p><p>Alex grinned.</p><p>
  <em> you don't get nudes before our first date, sweetheart </em>
</p><p>
  <em> let me know your video call app of choice, then, and what time works for you. talk to you Friday. </em>
</p><p>Somehow, miraculously, they did actually find a time that worked for both of them that Friday, and then another time two weeks later. After that, though, their strangely formed almost-friendship kind of fizzled out. School and college applications kept Alex busy, especially during the end of the fall semester and the beginning of spring. He never completely stopped thinking about Henry, though. There was one selfie Henry had sent him that second week after camp, taken out in the sunshine, Henry's gentle smile perfectly relaxed and his blue eyes as pretty as ever, that Alex still had saved on his phone, and maybe still looked at more than once a week. It was, Alex thought privately, kind of his ultimate boyfriend fantasy. Clearly, he would always think of Henry as the one that got away.</p><p>At least until Alex got a sudden text in May.</p><p>
  <em> you wouldn't happen to know any decent coffee places in DC? I'm headed there for an internship this summer, before I enrol at Georgetown in the fall. </em>
</p><p>Alex stared at the text for more than a minute before he managed to shakily type out a response.</p><p>
  <em> I'M going to Georgetown. please tell me you're single? </em>
</p><p>It was the most agonising five minutes of his goddamn <em> life, </em> before Henry's response popped up.</p><p>
  <em> can confirm. when do you get there? please suggest a time for coffee and reunion snogs at your earliest convenience. </em>
</p><p>Alex whooped, throwing his fists in the air. Suddenly, graduation and the start of his college life couldn't come soon enough.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>shout-out to my wife for fixing my summary, and to our cat for not eating my wife's knitting. thank you for reading! ♡♡♡</p></blockquote></div></div>
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